Allentown man faces charges in fatal hit-and-run

Scott Gaffney Sr. was drunk, had suspended license, police say.

A 35-year-old Allentown man was intoxicated and driving with a suspended license when he struck a city woman in a fatal hit-and-run accident Friday night, said police.

Scott Allen Gaffney Sr. of 595 E. Cumberland St. was arraigned Saturday before District Justice Carl Balliet on two counts of causing an accident involving a death or injury, two counts of causing such an accident while driving without a proper license, plus driving under the influence of alcohol and driving while under suspension for previous driving-while-intoxicated offenses.

He was sent to Lehigh County Prison, said police spokesman Lt. Daryl Hendricks, who added that no bail was set because of the seriousness of the charges against Gaffney.

According to police, at 9:12 p.m., Rosa Salguero, 44, of 1046 Walnut St. was hit while getting out of her parked car with a 4-year-old boy in her arms. Her car was parked on Walnut Street between 10th and 11th streets. Gaffney's license had been suspended for previous DUI offenses, according to Hendricks.

The woman was gravely injured when police arrived, said Hendricks. She was pronounced dead at 9:49 p.m. Friday in Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township. Paul Hoffman, Lehigh County first deputy coroner, said the cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma.

The boy, identified by police as Emanuel Huertas, a foster child, was taken to the hospital in serious condition with bruises, but Hendricks said his condition later was upgraded to stable. Late Saturday afternoon, a hospital spokesman said the child had been discharged.

Hendricks said Gaffney called police from his home about 10:30 p.m. Friday to report that his vehicle had been involved in a collision with "an unknown object" in the area of the 1100 block of Walnut Street.

Hendricks said Gaffney's full-size van, which was parked in front of his home when police arrived, had damage consistent with evidence found at the hit-and-run scene.

While Hoffman said Salguero's death has been ruled accidental, Hendricks said Gaffney may face additional charges.